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Michael Desat and Nathan Hols-Vanhumbeck stayed up all night putting the finishing touches on their authentic fan costumes.

“We haven’t slept yet,” said Desat, clad in his homemade mandalorian armor -- inspired by the fictional group of warriors from the Star Wars universe. “I think his is still drying.”

But they weren’t going to miss Sarnia’s first ever comic book and gaming convention held Sunday at the Holiday Inn.

“Nothing we’ve had in Sarnia has been anywhere close to this,” said Desat, who has been making his own costumes for several years as part of a growing fan-based trend known as ‘cosplay.’

“Anything we’ve had has been in a basement or back room somewhere.”

Desat and his friends were among the first visitors to the Sarnia Pop Culture Show, which featured dealers and vendors specializing in comic books, gaming, anime, collectors items and more.

“This has been a long held dream of mine since I opened my own comic book store 20 years ago,” said Trent Rogers, owner of Future Pastimes located in downtown Sarnia.

“But it wasn’t until the last few months that we decided to do it; and we threw it all together relatively quickly.”

Rogers pointed to television shows like The Big Bang Theory that have helped thrust the world of comic books, gaming and cosplay into the mainstream.

“I think the culture is really growing; there is a real shift in public conscience,” he said.

He and co-organizer Terry Wardell had their sights set on attracting 500 fans for Sunday’s event.

Within the first hour, nearly 100 people were lining up to get in.

They’re hoping to make it an annual event.

Desat and his friends say they’ve been waiting years for an event like this in Sarnia, and were happy to be able to show off their gear.

“Five years ago, when I built my first suit, this kind of stuff was just happening online in chat rooms and forums. Now it’s like a global event,” he said. “It’s just a fun hobby. Some people watch sports; some people like race cars -- we build suits.”

Wade Alexander (aka "Flsah") and Mike Morgado sift through some comic books at the Sarnia Pop Culture Show held at the Holiday Inn, Sunday. The multi-genre convention, which featured comic books, games, and several fan related vendors, drew hundreds of visitors. TARA JEFFREY/THE OBSERVER/QMI AGENCY